˙ ˖ ˙ ˖ HE WAS SAT STILL, RUMINATING until he heard the light footsteps of his sister approaching from behind. he’d grown up with her ; he could pick the sound of her footsteps ( of any of his siblings, really ) out with little to no effort. caeryn waits for her to finish speaking before glancing her way. he folds his hands in front of him && slightly leans forward on the table for support. ❛ while our stays have been unexpectedly extended, i’m afraid i can’t say i’m upset about it. ❜ a quiet, thoughtful hum emits from his throat. winterfell was a nice change of scenery for caeryn. he often found himself growing impatient with the familiarity of king’s landing, wishing there was more to it.
he knows his sister && he knows her well. ❛ you’re not here to inquire about my health, rhae. ❜ caeryn looks at her expectantly ━━ waiting. when she doesn’t speak up he asks : ❛ what really brings you to my side ? ❜
ALWAYS QUIET & THOUGHTFUL, THAT WAS what rhaella associated with her brother. she supposed it stood out against some of the other personalities in their family. though she enjoyed an animated personality ( much easier to learn about a person when they were naturally prone to speaking ), she appreciated the feeling of calm she felt speaking to caeryn. even though her current anxiety regarding the situation was overpowering enough it likely wouldn’t last. ❝ i know there’s been quite a bit of intrigue at hand here, attempted poisonings, maesters having to deal with arson, but i can’t help feeling … bored. ❞ in a way, it showed sometimes how young rhae still was. she could be awfully serious, but then a bit of tundra for too long made her scowl.
biting her lip, she waited barely a second before just saying it. ❝ have you seen rhiannon yet? ❞ she supposed it wasn’t necessary to specify why she asked — even if it wasn’t the true reason behind her words. no, that would be called guilt.
That toothy grin was contagious, dimples displayed for everyone to see. “You wish you could! You’d miss me too much, even though the country wouldn’t.” Despite their distaste of one another, they were a terrible duo. Who let them both into the same room? It was a horrible mistake on their part! “So what terrible deeds have you accomplished since we’ve last met, oh dear Neera? Have you managed to frighten someone in the last ten minutes besides myself?”
NEERA SNEERED AT QUENTIN, THOUGH it was tinted with a hint of humor on her part. ❝ you assume a great deal. sure, i’d play the inconsolable former bride at your funeral — but only in the hopes i get to steal some of your belongings later, ❞ not that she needed to, as a lady. though then again, that status never felt truly hers anymore. ❝ oh, shut it. i don’t go around gutting folk daily, even though you’re making me feel more and more inclined to take up the practice. ❞
Oh, this was to end in tragedy. For who? All of them, for sure. Quentin would do all in his power to make sure that what Rhaella suggested wouldn’t happen. Simple flirting, perhaps, but all of that? No! So what did he do with the fresh cup of wine? He took it haphazardly from his friend’s grasp, and with a flick, it had spilled over the front of her dress. At this, he could only half feign pity. “Oh, dear princess! Forgive my clumsiness!”
WELL, NOW THIS WAS PERSONAL. giving quentin a look, she let out a loud, forced sigh of dismay, all before turning over to the lord in question. ❝ my lord, would you please help us out? my dear friend here seemed to get distracted at the sight of you, and now — ❞ she did not finish her sentence, but instead vaguely gestured to the wine stain on her dress, as well as the specks she noticed on quentin’s own attire. ❝ i noticed you had a handkerchief earlier, or rather, lord tyrell pointed it out to me. ❞ another nod to quentin, rhaella truly laying on the potential embarrassment.
Oh, yes, he was a northerner, wasn’t he? He had thought of himself more of the Riverlands, but she had a point. They would always praise themselves on their honor. But what did it matter when it only brought pain? But still, Lucas chuckled, albeit how grave this topic was. “That doesn’t mean you can be any less of a hero. Forget honor and forget the battlefield. There’s more to that title than meets the eye.”
SHE COULDN’T HELP BUT LET OUT A CHUCKLE of her own, mostly regarding the thought of her as a hero. ❝ maybe, yes — but the thing most heroes from the story and history books have in common seems to be a noble death, much before their time. ❞ and if someone asked rhaella, something that could have been easily avoided with a bit of planning. ❝ why is this so important to you, lord whent? do you fancy yourself to be a hero? i don’t much see jeyne suiting the role of your damsel in distress. ❞
“They don’t seem to care about the words of our knights. My men can speak for me as can a few Lords I spent some time talking to before the exciting bits started.” He wasn’t sure if calling them exciting was the smartest comment for him to back but it had been quite exciting to watching everything fall to pieces in a matter of seconds. “It seems they disregard your status here.” Anthor was quite comfortable in the North, he felt comfortable within the walls of Winterfell and worried not. The North was safe, their Kings and Queens were people of honor even if his desire to reunite the realm would put him at odds with the Starks.
Should he ever be bold enough to act on anything beyond thinking.
“I have. The questions are quite personal, I don’t understand why. Mayhaps it’s a desire to get into our heads. but it seems rather invasive. I don’t see why love would be relevant but perhaps a man in love could be made to do anything.” That was dangerous, he didn’t know if his father loved anyone but his mother and he supposed that if his mother wanted something she could go to him. To Anthor, his father was the most powerful man in the realm. No crown needed.
He looked to his betrothed, a Princess. It was safe to say that Anthor found himself in the right position long enough for Aegon to allow him to one day marry his sister. And while she didn’t seem pleased with the betrothal he tried. He found it difficult. His experience with women consisted of dancing, smiling at them and offering a Lords charm. What was he do with a woman that didn’t want to want him?
Who could ask for help?
“The questions go through rather quickly all the same, it may get frustrating but they don’t draw it out to the point of frustration.”
AT LEAST HE SEEMED TO AGREE WITH HER, that was somewhat promising. considering all things, it could have been worse — aegon could have betrothed her to, gods forbid, a true northener. that would have been catastrophic, her friendship with joanna was enough to prove it, as much as she actually liked the stark princess, their varying opinions regarding certain matters … well, quentin’s expression whenever they got into it was enough to know. though, then again, he was usually already passed out from the amounts of wine they’d managed to feed their poor friend.
❝ hearing you, it seems they disregard the status of anyone who is not from the north proper, ❞ she would have been hesitant about the words, but rhaella knew damn well the westerlands and north were as different as night and day — customs, lifestyle, even religion. she also figured it must frustrate at least some of them. ❝ there will be questions regarding our feelings on love? i suppose you’re right, love does tend to make fools of even the best men, but i would figure the motive to be political, if anything. ❞ she gently hid the suggestion in her words to speak more on the matter, intrigued — partially about how anthor felt, partially if there was anything she could pass on to valarr for more information.
she had not spoken much to anthor before, and despite her dislike for their current … situation, rhaella’s curiosity ultimately won out. there were many reasons she had never even looked for a marriage before aegon set her up, but the largest was her list of criteria — most of which related to her position. it would be intriguing to learn more, see if he at least met some of them. ❝ i get frustrated with useless questions regardless of how long they take, so i fear this might go poorly. ❞ she smiled at that, light-hearted. anyone who knew rhaella knew her time was precious to her, and she did not do well with distractions.
pausing for barely a breath, rhaella straightened up slightly, turning her face towards anthor properly. ❝ would you care to walk me over? my turn should be up soon, so i could use to hear some more. ❞ it was the largest sort of invitation she would give, considering her stubborn nature.
the courts offer bread and salt to LOTHAR FREY of HOUSE FREY. many say that the FORTY-SIX year old RULING LORD of THE TWINS is known to be RESOURCEFUL and PASSIONATE, though ill tongues whisper that HE is CRUEL and UNFORGIVING. when his name is uttered , one is reminded of a forced smile that never quite reaches the eyes, straining not to flash teeth ; black for mourning, worn so often it has easily blended into your house colors ; a longsword that you itch to drain in blood ; sprawling gardens, maintained with absolute perfection, all for the memories they still contain. may he be blessed and protected in this war of crowns. ( fc: jonathan rhys meyers )
siri please play oops i did it again by icon, legend, star britney spears. hi it’s danai and i suddenly caught muse for a third.... so here is my rat bastard <3
since lothar was a boy, he knew the world could be a cruel place. not necessarily because he had already experienced it as such, but more so because that was the vision his father imparted on him. house frey of the crossing has seen much of westeros, the placement of their twin keeps and the vital bridge in between has weathered armies from many sides — and usually left them richer for it once they passed through. his father used this knowledge for his pragmatic worldview. conquerors could come from any side, and just because you fell under the jurisdiction of one kingdom, did not mean they would protect you when the time came.
lothar himself was more of an idealist. he was passionate, and looked up to their new stark kings, thought that they were working to make their world a better place. while he was an idealist, it did not mean his father’s personality did not rub off on it. somewhat harsh as a boy, and harsher as a man still, lothar knew the price of being heir to the twins was a life of constant scheming & preparation. he was resourceful, steered their bannermen in creative ways, and made sure house frey’s power and rule over their lands was never in doubt. but he was also aware of the realistic aspects of his position, knew that sometimes sacrifices had to be made, for the good of the many. knew that his role in that was if he swung those death blows himself.
meeting denyse mallister was the first time in his life his harsh suddenly felt dulled, softened even. they married when they were young, but it was a love match — something that was evident even as the years went by. through her, lothar fathered two children, and the three of them became his ultimate priority, despite his father’s grumbling that it should be their keep & lands instead. to the outside, lothar frey was a stern-faced warrior, but to them he was a completely different picture, a loving husband & doting father.
lothar’s father passed away from old age at the start of the unofficial war between the north & the ironborn, leaving the new lord frey in a precarious position. being one of the largest forces in the riverlands, his bannermen were drafted to fight — and though it was against his better judgement, the stark’s words of honor & old ways made him feel that not to join his bannermen would be a cowards decision. lothar spent most of the war fighting his way through ironborn raiding parties, barely at home. he became more ruthless, driving the raiders back at any cost — and killing them if he could.
sadly, his staunch support for the north & battle against the ironborn had a steep price. near the end of the war, while lothar was defending the coasts seagard, tragic news reached his ears. his wife had been taken by the ironborn as a prisoner of war, and though he tried to negotiate, tried to get his king to help her, ultimately what was returned to him was a corpse. not a month later, the peace between the north and the ironborn was reached, and lothar was also denied his revenge.
the death of his wife & what he sees as a betrayal from a king he once believed in has turned lothar from a harsh man to a cruel & bitter one. he returned to the twins broken. protecting his children was important to him, but it paled in comparison to the need for revenge he now held. these last few years he has spent truly following in his father’s footsteps, scheming & preparing. lothar seems like a broken man, waiting for the day the gods take him away from this world — but before that, he’s going to make damn sure the world burns and he has his revenge against those who caused denyse frey’s brutal murder.
A FEELING OF ANXIETY HAD PLAGUED rhaella since their arrival at winterfell, especially regarding her brother — though it was getting harder to define which one of her brothers, nowadays. bumping into rhiannon seemed like an inevitability, and there was a growing chance for caeryn finding out the truth, as well as her small role in it. playing the curious sister was her easiest way of finding out if the confrontation had happened yet, so she sat herself down next to her brother in the great hall of winterfell, a fussing look on her face. ❝ please say i’m not the only one desperate to go home by this point. all of us are starting to look pale from the lack of sunlight, it’s becoming worrisome. ❞
STILL SIMMERING FROM HER INQUISITION, rhaella managed to track down her eldest brother with ease. ❝ aegon, ❞ she greeted once she reached the tower her brother was holed up in. sitting herself down beside him, the anger was clear on her face — not that she was even trying to hide it at this point. ❝ have you heard about the inquisitioners and their questions yet? not only were they horribly personal and irrelevant to the situation, i was asked to reveal my greatest secret. ❞ it was like the dam broke, and rhaella had started almost ranting. ❝ they have no respect for the southern kingdom, knowing my position on the small council — what did they think, that i would just start revealing state secrets?! ❞ letting out a loud hmph like some petulant child, rhaella finally gave her brother a moment to actually speak himself.
↪ A list of SENTENCES from George R. R. Martin’s novel A Game of Thrones, to be used and changed however you see fit. possible trigger WARNINGS for violent and sexual content, profanity, and alcohol.
↪ All parts can be found here.
❝ can a man still be brave if he’s afraid? ❞
❝ take me down to your crypt, ____. i would pay my respects. ❞
❝ in my dreams, i kill him every night. a thousand deaths will still be less than he deserves. ❞
❝ i believe i was younger than you the first time i got truly and sincerely drunk. ❞
❝ never forget what you are,
for surely the world will not. make it your strength, then it can never be your weakness. armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you. ❞
❝ ____ is truly a little shit. ❞
❝ don’t you see the danger this puts us in? ❞
❝ give me honorable enemies rather than ambitious ones, and i’ll sleep more easily by night.❞
❝ you should think less about the future and more about the pleasures at hand. ❞
❝ take my hand before you fall. ❞
❝ the things i do for love. ❞
❝ one word, and i will hit you again. ❞
❝ death is so terribly final, while life is full of possibilities. ❞
❝ a mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge. ❞
❝ most men would rather deny a hard truth than face it. ❞
❝ every flight begins with a fall. ❞
❝ the captain was just telling me that our voyage is almost at an end. ❞
❝ why have i been brought here in this fashion? ❞
❝ they hate me because i’m better than they are. ❞
❝ no. they hate you because you act like you’re better than they are. ❞
❝ there’s much to be said for taking people unawares. you never know what you might learn. ❞
❝ let them see that their words can cut you, and you’ll never be free of the mockery. if they want to give you a name, take it, make it your own. then they can’t hurt you with it anymore. ❞
❝ that was a grievous error. ❞
❝ all justice flows from the king. ❞
❝ we all need to be mocked from time to time, lest we start to take ourselves too seriously. ❞
❝ i hope i can repay your kindness. ❞
❝ and what will you be wanting, this time of night? ❞
❝ this is the last place i would have expected to see you. ❞
❝ stick them with the pointy end. ❞
❝ all men are made of water, do you know this? when you pierce them, the water leaks out and they die. ❞
❝ i don’t want to talk about that now. it’s so beautiful here, i don’t want to think about everything dying. ❞
❝ you give commands to me? to me? ❞
❝ have you forgotten who you are? look at you. look at you! ❞
❝ i hate your stupid stories. ❞
❝ i have a tender spot in my heart for cripples and bastards and broken things. ❞
❝ no more, i yield, don’t hit me. ❞
❝ there’s no honor in beating a fallen foe. he yielded. ❞
❝ i don’t know what you did, but i know you did it. ❞
❝ i’ve never had a friend before. ❞
❝ no victory is half so beautiful as you. ❞
❝ if you ever tell anyone, i’ll kill you. ❞
❝ ah, damn you, ____, why are you always right? ❞
❝ are you telling me those prancing cravens will let me win? ❞
❝ get out before i kill you. ❞
❝ oh, he’s so beautiful. ❞
❝ ____ says that every hurt is a lesson, and every lesson makes you better. ❞
❝ this wine is very choice. thank you. ❞
❝ none of us will go hungry tonight. ❞
❝ there is a great song to be made from this, and i’m the one to make it. ❞
❝ fear cuts deeper than swords. ❞
❝ wizards die the same as other men, once you cut their heads off. ❞
❝ rhaella valerys targaryen, dragon blessed, princess of the southern kingdom, master of coin, daughter of dragonstone, we could go on, but i have much more important things to do than spend the rest of my day here, so let’s move on, shall we? ❞
WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS / LOVED ONES CALL YOU ?
❝ rhae seems to be the most common nickname. ❞
WHERE WERE YOU BORN ?
❝ on dragonstone, like most targaryens. ❞
DO YOU HAVE SIBLINGS ?
❝ unfortunately. ❞
DO YOU HAVE CHILDREN ? DO YOU WANT THEM ?
❝ none yet… but maybe, someday, depending on the circumstances. ❞
DO YOU HAVE A POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR FAMILY ?
❝ i suppose that depends on your definition of positive. none of us seem to have started a repeat of the ‘dance of the dragons’ quite yet, so in terms of our family history, i’d like to think we’re doing quite well. ❞
DO YOU HAVE ANY FAMILY TRADITIONS / MEMORIES THAT YOU VALUE ?
❝ most of our family traditions require fire and blood, are you sure you’d like to hear more about those? maybe even a demonstration of sorts? no — ? well, alright then. i suppose i treasure most memories with my parents, considering their current absence in my life. ❞
HOW DO YOU TYPICALLY SPEND A DAY ?
❝ my work takes up most of my time, but i’d prefer not to discuss the workings of the southern economy with northeners, thank you very much. ❞
ARE YOU RELIGIOUS ?
❝ the faith of the seven has always been a part of my life, so i would say so, yes. ❞
WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST STRENGTH ?
❝ my ambition, i suppose? ❞
YOUR GREATEST WEAKNESS ?
❝ i don’t see how any of these questions have anything to do with the investigation. are you asking everyone these? that seems like a lousy way to gather answers. — yes, yes, i’ll answer, no need for that ugly sneer. seven hells, would you treat your own princesses this way? my greatest weakness is that i’m too much of a perfectionist, will that do for you? ❞
DESCRIBE A HIDDEN TALENT / LITTLE KNOWN SKILL YOU BELIEVE YOU POSESS.
❝ i’m most talented at getting nosy northern inquisitors drawn and quartered for making an attempt to put their hands on me. why don’t you take a break and send someone else in and i’ll see if i wish to continue this inquisition. ❞
DO YOU FALL IN LOVE EASILY ?
❝ gods, i see the strange line of questioning is a common theme among you inquisitors. could you at least get me some wine, so i can dull the headache these questions are giving me? no, i don’t fall in love easily. no need for elaboration, you have your answer. ❞
DO YOU HAVE SOMEONE YOU WOULD DIE FOR ? WHO ?
❝ no one comes to mind, but then again, i like to think i’m clever enough to avoid extremes such as having to die for another. heroics are really not my style. ❞
DESCRIBE YOUR LIFE FIVE YEARS FROM NOW.
❝ i have many ambitions regarding the southern kingdom. in five years i hope to see them realized and for our kingdom to flourish as a result. ❞
DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF TO BE A SECRETIVE PERSON ?
❝ i prefer to keep certain things close to my chest, yes, but that is necessary for someone in my position. it’s also why i dislike it when someone, like your colleague, sticks their nose in my business. ❞
IS THERE A SECRET RELATED TO YOU THAT YOU HIDE FROM MOST PEOPLE ?
❝ did you not hear my previous answer or are you just simple minded? ❞
DO YOU PUT YOURSELF BEFORE OTHERS, OR OTHERS BEFORE YOURSELF ?
❝ in my work for the realm, i put the needs of others first all the time. my personal choices regarding the matter will remain as such, personal. ❞
DO YOU LIKE YOURSELF ?
❝ do i like myself? mother give me strength… what kind of question is that? i like myself enough that if we do not get to some more relevant questions soon, i’ll be leaving. ❞
DO YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE A GOOD PERSON ?
❝ who decides what is good and what is bad? the citizens of kings landing seem to think me good enough, but i’ve provided them with full bellies and clean streets. i’m quite sure your colleague, however, does not hold me in the same regard. ❞
ARE YOU A VENGEFUL PERSON ?
❝ what a pointed question, are you asking me this because i am a targaryen? not all of us will kill a man just for looking the wrong way, you know. ❞
EVENT / PLOT DROP RELATED QUESTIONS
WHY DID YOU ACCEPT THE INVITATION TO THE CORONATION ?
❝ ah, finally! a relevant question! as a representative of my house, i thought it would be important to show our … solidarity to our northern neighbors. and i suppose it’s always good for a master of coin to be present at important events throughout the realm, allegiances and deals are much easier to work out during friendly conversation rather than long letters. ❞
WHAT ARE YOUR IMPRESSIONS OF THE NORTHERN RULERS ? THEIR HOME ?
❝ i haven’t had much of a chance to interact with either, but they seem to be doing quite well considering the circumstances. as for winterfell, i much prefer the red keep — but it’s a fine enough castle. ❞
WERE YOU PARTAKING IN THE FESTIVITIES AS AN INVITED GUEST, OR SOMEONE IN SERVICE TO AN INVITED GUEST ?
❝ an invited guest. though i suppose all of us southeners are in service to our king. ❞
DID YOU ATTEND BOTH THE CORONATION & THE FEAST ?
❝ yes, i was present at both. ❞
IF SO, CAN YOU ACCOUNT FOR YOUR WHEREABOUTS PRIOR & DURING THE ATTEMPTED POISONING OF QUEEN FREYJA & KING EDRIK ? CAN ANYONE VERIFY THIS ACCOUNT ?
❝ my guards can attest to my presence, as they have already done in their own inquisitions. though i’m sure others present in the hall can also confirm it, since their testimony was not enough to spare me this strange conversation. ❞
DID YOU SEE, HEAR, OR OVERHEAR ANYTHING SUSPICIOUS THAT MIGHT BE USEFUL IN THE INVESTIGATION ?
❝ i noted one of the servant girls continuously slipping away from the festivities. she looked anxious, to say the least, and there was a black stain on her dress that could have easily been soot. it was a pale brunette girl, i believe, if that helps. ❞
WHAT MOTIVE MIGHT SOMEONE HAVE FOR SETTING THE MAESTERS TOWER ABLAZE ?
❝ how would i know the answer to that? there are many motives, it could even have been someone with a simple grudge against one of the maesters, and all this political intrigue was for nothing. ❞
DO YOU BELIEVE THESE ATTACKS WERE / WILL BE AN ISOLATED INCIDENT ? EXPLAIN.
❝ it could be an isolated incident, and it could not — as long as there is no motive or suspect, we could play this game of throwing out theories the entire day, but i do not think either of us will turn out much wiser for it. ❞
WHO DO YOU BELIEVE TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LATE KING STARK’S MURDER ?
❝ i feel like i have been repeating myself for the last three questions or so. show me some of your evidence, and i’ll start hypothesizing on theories, if you’re really at such a disadvantage. considering the questions, it seems you could use all the help you could get. ❞
IF YOU WERE ASKED TO LAY BLAME UPON ONE OF THE HOUSES, WHO WOULD YOU HOLD RESPONSIBLE FOR SUCH A HEINOUS ACTs ?
❝ making claims such as that without anything behind it has been known to start wars, so i’ll refrain from answering. if i had to make an educated guess, however, i’d advise you to look within northern borders. this reeks of internal conflict. ❞
IS THERE ANY OTHER INFORMATION OF NOTE TO SHARE WITH THE INQUISITOR ?
❝ please, do tell your colleague that i expect an apology from him before nightfall, or i shall have to make good on my threats. ❞
jbbartram-illu
jacobvanloon
prguitarman
blakekathryn
izzy806
gummygunk
